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The Bossest Non-Lighter

The Gló e-torch is the most high-tech lighter we’ve seen — so much so that calling it a “lighter” doesn’t quite feel right, as it’s meant to replace both the lighter in your pocket as well as the butane torch currently in use with your dab rig.

This device is essentially a battery-powered ceramic heating tip, which — as advertised — gets up to 600 degrees in about ten seconds, with 60 heating cycles of over a minute each per battery charge.

The Gló’s makers say the high flame-less heat delivered through the tiny tip allows for “precision vaping” — meaning the days of “accidentally” dabbing an entire gram and losing the afternoon are over. Plus, since there’s no butane, you get more flavor. Do you?

You can say goodbye to buying cans of butane. You can use this on your dab rig to heat up whatever concentrate you’ve placed on the surface of your choice (we recommend a quartz banger or nail). Since there’s less random vaporizing, it does do away with some of the need for a carb cap, though the boxy design and high cost may have some dabheads asking “why bother?” — and only the most flush butane-haters will see the economy in paying $165 to never use a lighter again.

THE VERDICT

Cool Factor: Big and oblong, the Gló won’t win too many design awards, being not much more than a container for the ceramic tip and power required to heat it to 600 degrees. That said, the ability to fire up a joint in high wind is undeniably cool — and it’s really easy to use, which is never not cool.

Practicality: It’s not heavy but it’s not tiny, about the size of a decent-size remote control (remember those?). It will live happily on your coffee table, and is right-sized for taking car camping or to festivals — though toting this around in your pocket instead of a lighter will get old.

Affordability: At $165 — or the cost of about eighty lighters — butane-less heat is not cheap. But that’s the cost of lighting up in a windstorm, laughing at the lesser-equipped struggling with lighters around you.

Overall: No doubt a luxury item, with design that’s utilitarian rather than wow-inducing. A high-end gift for the smoker who thinks they have everything.